The costs associated with placing spacecraft (e.g., satellites) in orbit are astronomical. For example, in 2012, typical launch costs may be approximately US$20,000 per kilogram of mass, which includes the mass of the launch vehicle and fuel, as well as the mass of the spacecraft being placed in orbit by the launch vehicle. In an effort to reduce the overall mass and thus to reduce launch costs, more than one spacecraft may be positioned within a single launch vehicle. When two spacecraft are coupled together for a single launch, the spacecraft may be referred to as dual manifested spacecraft.
Because of the forces involved and the delicacy of the spacecraft, the interconnection between two dual manifested spacecraft must be secure.